[ti:Finding New Ways to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis ] [ar:Bob Doughty] [al:Health Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English [00:02.95]Health Report. [00:04.20]Rheumatoid arthritis [00:06.25]is a painful disease [00:07.74]that can destroy joints. [00:09.67]Women are three times [00:11.66]more likely to get it than men. [00:13.84]Rheumatoid arthritis [00:16.20]is considered an autoimmune disease, [00:19.07]a disease where the body [00:21.37]attacks healthy cells. [00:23.48]The exact cause is unknown. [00:26.22]But in a recent study, [00:29.20]an experimental drug showed [00:32.13]signs of halting the disorder [00:34.62]in laboratory mice. [00:36.23]Harris Perlman [00:38.35]is a medical researcher [00:39.84]at Northwestern University [00:42.14]in Illinois. [00:43.70]He says normally a protein [00:46.81]in healthy immune cells [00:48.80]causes the cells to die [00:51.04]after they attack [00:53.09]an invading virus or bacteria. [00:56.20]But in rheumatoid arthritis, [00:59.00]that protein is missing [01:01.24]in some immune cells. [01:03.17]Instead, the protein builds up [01:06.90]in the joints and [01:08.21]attacks cartilage and bone. [01:10.45]Professor Perlman developed [01:13.18]what he calls a suicide molecule. [01:16.17]It acts like the protein [01:18.66]that directs cells to self-destruct. [01:22.02]He says the suicide molecule [01:25.50]halted and even reduced rheumatoid [01:28.98]arthritis in seventy-five percent [01:32.22]of the mice in the study. [01:33.77]He believes the treatment [01:36.01]could also work in people. [01:37.88]Current treatments [01:40.30]for rheumatoid arthritis [01:42.05]can reduce pain, [01:43.73]but they do not work for everyone. [01:46.52]They also have side effects [01:49.70]such as an increased risk of infection. [01:53.06]Harris Perlman says [01:55.55]the new treatment produced [01:57.72]no major side effects in the mice. [02:00.58]The study appeared earlier this year [02:04.25]in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. [02:08.05]Arthritis is not a single disease. [02:11.72]The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, [02:15.57]a United States government website, [02:18.75]says there are more than [02:21.05]one hundred different kinds. [02:23.35]Arthritis produces pain, swelling [02:27.39]and limited movement [02:29.51]in one or more joints. [02:31.19]It involves the breakdown of cartilage. [02:34.67]Joints need cartilage [02:36.72]for smooth movement and to absorb shock [02:40.52]when you put pressure on a joint. [02:42.76]Arthritis can be caused [02:45.18]by injury, infection, [02:47.42]an autoimmune disease [02:49.35]or just long-term use. [02:51.72]Some forms are curable, [02:54.27]others are not. [02:56.01]Some autoimmune forms of arthritis, [02:59.43]if not treated, may cause [03:01.73]joints to become deformed. [03:03.91]The most common form of arthritis, [03:07.27]osteoarthritis, is more likely [03:10.07]to affect older people. [03:11.81]It most commonly affects the hips, [03:15.35]knees or fingers. [03:17.41]Overweight people have [03:19.64]a higher risk of osteoarthritis. [03:22.44]Other risk factors are repeatedly [03:25.68]putting stress on a joint [03:27.42]or having an earlier injury. [03:29.66]A physical therapist can design [03:32.58]an individualized exercise program [03:35.76]to reduce arthritis pain [03:38.37]and support healthy joints. [03:40.92]Getting plenty of sleep, [03:43.10]reducing stress and eating [03:45.96]a diet high in vitamins [03:47.95]and minerals can also help. [03:50.44]And that's the VOA Special English [03:53.92]Health Report. [03:54.98]I'm Bob Doughty.